A Sunny origin story
by dourdan
Summary: i just got in introduced to the toriko series (first 2 dvds) but i can't seem to find much history on Sunny, so i made up my own. - pic is from my deviant art page
1. Chapter 1

President Ichiryu had made a habit of seeking out disciples; young orphan boys from impoverished nations that would be grateful for his guidance and care. He already had 3, that was the usual number but one day he heard of one more that he knew he needed to meet. There had been a terrible fire at a crowded apartment building in on of the poorest districts of the city. Over 40 people died, from burns, smoke inhalation or being trampled by survivors. 25 survived, only 2 were children; a 7 year old boy who carried his 3 year old sister on his back and jumped off the roof.

Rumors flew about this incident. Some say the child was born with strange multicolored hair that gave him powers, but other say he was simply brave. But either way he was in the hospital, and had been for the past week. Ichiryu knew he had to see for himself. The hospital was already on his good will tour, it was one of many public facilities that received food and supplies from the government, so he would often to a photo shoot while shaking hands with the locals. He went to the front desk and asked about the mysterious boy. The receptionist could not hold back her tears. She told him the boy was very sick but since the children had no other family they would likely be sent to an orphanage. "I think the little girl might find a home, but that poor little boy...It's so much harder to get an older child adopted- and then there's the hair...some people find it adorable, but others see it as some kind of abomination.- anyway, I'm so sorry." She said reaching for a tissue, "Go to room 303, bed 5."

Now Ichiryu was even more curious, what was it about this child's hair? He went to the room, and saw a little girl with short black hair. "Are you here to help my brother?" she appeared to be wearing the same cloths from the fire; covered in the same dirt and ash.

"I'll try, little one." That answer felt right even if there was nothing special about this boy he could still use his power to get them placed in a orphanage in a better neighborhood "What's your name?"

"rin.." she said sitting up on the bed. "And this is sunny...because mama thought his hair looked pretty like the sunrise."

The boy, Sunny, had the most unusual blonde, pink, blue and green streaked hair. As he slept, his hair seemed to move on its own as if it was a separate entity. Ichiryu then turned his attention to the injuries, his arms were severely burned, as if he tried to cover his face and also broken in several places. The bandages were old and dirty, causing an infection and fever, and his broken bones were not even reset. The child's ribs were also broken, perhaps from the fall making it difficult for him to breathe. But through all this, the hair was stroking the child's face, as if to give some measure of comfort.

"can you tell me what happened in the fire?" he asked, if anyone knew the truth it would be her.

She nodded. "my mama and papa went to heaven; all I have is Sunny. It was so cold that night, I wanted to sleep inside. So we snuck in to the building with the broken locks, and we found a door that was open." she started to cry, what they did was wrong and perhaps it was why fate deemed it necessary to punish them.

"Sunny said if we were quiet we could sleep in a closet, just for today, and no one would even know we were there." And Sunny would be right, maybe a little too right. The owner was a drunk who stumbled in hours later, and while attempting to make a cup of coffee using a kettle and a gas stove, set the kitchen on fire.

"There was fire, and screaming, and running. Sunny carried me on his back. He ran through the fire like this." she said holding her arms in front of her face. It was then Ichiryu noticed Rin's face and body were completely unharmed. Perhaps the power of the hair was too busy protecting his sister, to shield Sunny's unprotected arms.

"We got to the hallway and people kept knocking Sunny down. Someone even stepped on him." That was less horrific then the truth. Sunny managed to shove Rin out of the way of the stampeding crowd, but he was trampled by no less than 5 people, breaking every rib in his tiny chest. But the pain and a powerful will to live energized his hair to suddenly toss people off of him, spring his body up and reunite with Rin. They needed to go in the opposite direction as the crowd; they needed to get to the roof.

At the roof Sunny told Rin to climb on his back one last time, hoping this was not good bye. "don't be scared, ok," he said to her, to hide the fact he was absolutely terrified. He closed his eyes and he could see his mother's face She had died of sickness less than a year ago, and their father had come and gone as he pleased-leaving them with nothing. But as she died she made sure her children knew they were loved.

"You are brave, you are strong, and you are beautiful." Those were his mother's last words to him. He recited them to Rin, almost as a prayer.

As he jumped, the hair made a net-like landing spot, to make the fall less fatal. But Sunny landed right on his already injured arms, breaking the bones so badly he could see bloody shards. Rin screamed for help but it was 30 minutes before anyone even acknowledged her cries.

"love you sunny" Rin curled back in to bed, holding her brother's hand.

Ichiryu looked at the two children in awe. They were destined for so much more. He would adopt the boy, train him as a disciple, and the girl, he would put through school and see what field she would grow to excel in.

He would not leave without them. Using his political authority he secured the adoption in a matter of hours, and the children were medically lifted to his estate via helicopter.

"Sunny!" Rin said looking out the window as their city disappeared in to the distance. "wake up sunny!"

Sunny's broken arms were reset and he was given stronger antibiotics for the fever. He would be ok. His hair was resting as well, laying normally like hair should. She kissed she forehead and started to braid his hair. "you need to wake up soon- we're going someplace... beautiful."


	2. Chapter 2

Sunny was still very sick and receiving treatment for the broken bones, and damaged nerve tissue in his arms. Rin stayed by his side for the first few hours, refusing to leave or even eat. But after a while the sadness of hearing him cry out in pain, as doctors kept injecting him with strange liquids and forcing him to attempt to use his arms, and sit up despite his broken ribs. What was in those injections? Was this supposed to make him better faster? It was all too much for little Rin to handle. She wondered the estate, until she found herself in to the main kitchen.

There she saw an adorable chubby cheeked boy with dark blue hair, and short little pudgy arms, stuffing his face from the fridge. He sniffed the air, as if he smelled her before he even saw her. "oh! hello", he said eating a chunk of meat. It looked like a giant piece of chicken; larger than any food item Rin had ever seen.

"hi" she smiled back with a little wave. "My name's Toriko." The boy was chubby but other wise of average height for a child. So it was a little shocking to see him lift an industrial kitchen size fridge off the ground with one hand, tilt it slightly, then reach in with the other hand to get at an item further in the back.

"Are you Sunny's little brother?" he asked as he sat down with his snack.

"huh?" she had been given a change of clothing, but the only clothes The president had laying around were boy's cloths that were several sizes too big, he had not expected to bring home a girl.

"Was that your sister? The one who was hurt? Or was it another kid the old man found?" the boy asked while eating.

"old man?" Rin giggled it was a funny nickname; one she never would have had the courage to think of. This little boy seems like a friend.

Meanwhile in the medical ward, Ichiryu instructed the doctors to get Sunny to sit up, and drink a mug of soup- on his own. With the advanced medical treatment this was not an impossible task, His ribs were already healing enough for him to breathe on his own. But perhaps this was more confusing then comforting as he started to scream and cry so hard his ribs hurt all over again "MAMA! I WANT MY MAMA! WHERE IS MY MAMA!" His hair, although it had a small range of attack was whipping in all directions like a case of demonic possession.

Memories of the night of the fire; the fear and the pain rippled through his mind. The doctors were afraid he would seriously injure himself, when suddenly a pink haired woman appeared.

She seemed older then the main medical staff, and was dressed as if she had just come from the kitchen. She walked to the boy without fear. The strange woman picked up the little boy and brought him to a rocking chair. Resting his head on her shoulder she rocked him as if rocking him to sleep.

"You're just a sweet little angel." she said rubbing his back until he calmed himself. No one knows how long it took, but eventually he calmed himself.

"My mama's an angel..." he said with tear streaked cheeks as if he suddenly realized his situation. "mama…mama…." He was still shivering, but the woman knew what to do.

The woman old nodded, continuing to rub his back. She was a famous chef brought in to make a meal to test the "gourmet cells" a form of medicine where the patient is injected with cells derived from a self-healing jelly fish. The cells could only arrive at their full strength if he patient ate an item of rare/ higher quality food.

"That means your mama will always watch over you- and it will be your job to take care of your baby sister, and make her proud." she added. Sunny had now completely stopped crying.

"Now, I was brought here by a very nice man, to make sure you had something wonderful to eat when you woke up." she kissed his forehead. She did not try to force him to eat on his own; she brought a spoon and fed him a single spoonful of the simple soup she had prepared. The results were nothing short of a miracle.

Meanwhile Back at the kitchen -"you want a snack? I know where all the good stuff is!" little Toriko said reaching in the fridge again. He assumed a cute little guy would want a candy-like treat so he brought out some fruits.

"Here try this- trust me you'll like It." he said placing a piece of fruit larger then Rin's head in front of her. But suddenly the other 2 boys entered a thin one and a tall, almost scary looking one. The scary one looked at Rin with disgust.

"Really? That's the new kid?- what does he add to the team?" the older/larger child was needlessly cruel in his evaluation.

"No, the new kid is a boy" the other child said. "Hello little one, my name's Coco," the smaller child said. "What happened to your parents?" he asked, as it was a very common question; no one got the privilege of living with the president unless they were an orphan with nowhere else to go.

"Mama died, papa... gone..." was all she could say to explain her situation. She was there when her mother died. Sunny held her in his arms, begging her to look away as the doctors took their mother's body away. After 5 days they assumed no one was going to claim the body (and 2 children who certainly could not) so she was buried in a numbered public grave. Rin was about to cry but the fat little boy suddenly forced a piece of fruit in to her mouth, so fast she almost choked.

"We don't judge here…" Toriko said even though it made little sense.


	3. Chapter 3

After the pink haired woman calmed Sunny down enough to get him to eat, he was suddenly well enough to go look for Rin.

"she's probably in the kitchen- that's where all the children like to congregate." She said in a sweet voice as she walked with him, so he wouldn't get lost.

"all the children?" Sunny asked. Since he had been unconscious for the last few days he had no idea there were other kids.

"oh yes, there are 3 others- very nice little boys- I'm sure you'll be fast friends. Look there they are now!" she said outside the doors to the kitchen.

But Sunny was too mesmerized by the beauty of the estate. It was just massive, like nothing he had ever seen before, like a cross between a mansion and a church; with high ceilings and intricate details everywhere. This seemed like a fairy tale.

"Would you like me to go in with you?" she asked.

Sunny shook his head.

"Well ok, I'll probably see you again someday." she said skipping off without ever revealing her name.

Sunny looked through the window in the door. He could see Rin with 3 boys. She seemed so happy. He had not seen her genuinely happy on a long time. He opened the door quietly and went straight to the far corner, unsure of what to do next. He was now at least 50 feet away from the others. When something amazing happened; he could feel Rin's hair.

Rin was still 50 feet away. She felt her hair itch, as if a bug landed on her head.

Sunny could feel everything; every intricacy, from the cold marble of a counter, to the warmth of the wood stove more than 70 feet away, even the tiles of the ceiling were touchable. How was he doing this? It was as if he could feel the entire room.

Then Rin felt something stroke her cheek, it was like a piece of silk.

"what up Rin?" Toriko asked, as she seemed distracted. He suddenly felt a touch as well, like a series of strings or maybe a ghostly hand. It was a little creepy.

"Something's touching me!" said the taller boy, who Coco forced to introduced as Zebra (Zebra was not about to tell his name to just anyone).

"rin," Coco said, touching her cheek exactly where the tingling feeling was. "I think it's time for you to turn around."

Rin looked around the room until she spotted her now fully healed brother, "Sunny!" She ran to him, so happy she was shaking. "Your arms!" she was shocked that his body completely healed in such a short time, when at the local hospital he was nearly dead.

"and- your hair?..." she added. Sunny's hair was usually just past his shoulders, was now his colorful hair was all the way down his back. She reached out her hand to touch it, but it came to her instead, caressing her hand like a long lost friend. The texture was different; it felt like silk, pasta, wind and a million other textures that were not of this world.

Sunny's eyes were closed, as if drinking in all the tactile and emotional experiences around him. "I ...feel ...everything." he said in an exhale.

"You expect me to believe THAT's a boy?" Zebra shouted to no one in particular, interrupting Sunny's serenity.

"I mean - Look at IT!" he added, his disgust turning to anger- was this really his future teammate? There was no way this scrawny little runt was on his level.

"And IT's name is Sunny?!" Zebra that was the worst part; what kind of boy is named Sunny? He then felt an invisible slap to the face; like a massive gust of wind that knocked him to the ground.

"Don't touch me you freak!" he said getting up.

"he's not a freak!" Rin shouted back as strong as she could with her tiny voice. Sunny's hair was a blessing; it was mystical, powerful, and beautiful- he was already more than those other boys would ever be.

"i'm not touching you…." Sunny opened his eyes, but could not help but give a taunting smile.

"what did you say?!" Zebra was not going to take this.

"I'm -not-touching-you." this time Sunny started to walk towards the group. But instead of walking he appeared to be floating.

Zebra hated cocky people. He revved up his town power, a sonic boom-like attack. He was already sucking in the air around him, making every item in the room shake.

"stop..." coco said calmly holding up one hand. Both boys ceased using their powers. Coco had that kind of power over people. "Master Ichiryu would be most displeased if we trashed his kitchen."

"This is coco, he's a fortune teller!" Rin said happily. That was all coco told her at the time- it seemed like a more age-appropriate version of his powers. But he was so much more.

"And this is Toriko, he's super strong!" she said, getting visibly happier.

"hi." said Toriko, still mid bite on whatever else he pulled from the fridge. He had held on to the item for the last 5 minutes and perhaps would have all eaten it even if a fight broke out.

"and that's Zebra... he.." she could not really explain what the older, boy did with sound waves.

"I think your brother can figure that out." Coco said making his way to the tea kettle to make himself a simple cup of tea and perhaps grab a cookie. He was not as food or combat obsessed as the others and preferred to simply avoid confrontation through logic.

"sure," Sunny looked them all in the eye. Not that it mattered-, he was experiencing feelings and emotions he had never felt before. Maybe they would be friends later- maybe not. He would always have Rin's friendship so that mattered little. And in that moment his senses were so empowered, his mind was awash in pure happiness. At the very least this would be better than his old life.

For the next 4 years the real training begun; for the boys, their traditional schooling would be limited to just 2 hours a day, but for Rin- education was to be her only true power.


	4. Chapter 4

Ichiryu tried to send little Rin to a normal school, but that didn't work out so well. She was board with other 3 year olds, 4 year olds, even 5 year olds. Sunny had been to school before their mother died so he already taught Rin how to read and write- even basic math skills. (When necessary he would even steal books from the school bags of other children.)

It was necessary to their survival; as long as he gave the illusion Rin was educated no one would suspect they were orphans. They would just assume their parents were working hard at a low paying job, in that city, or perhaps a few cities over. But that was a tale for another time.

Every day for the 3 months she was forced to go to regular school, she would run home and ask about what Sunny learned in his 2 hours of school. It his lessons were all about the gourmet plants and animals, the history of the gourmet lands and the gourmet cells, and -the god ingredients (with the possibilities they bring.)

But what interested Rin most were the plants and animals. There was so much to learn about these animals that took massive teams of soldiers to take down- and those were just the ones who had been taken down before. There were creatures that no one had ever dared to fight- their capture levels were immeasurable (and their meat was rarer then gold- but that diden't really seem as important)

It was then Ichiryu knew what had to be done. He hired a private tutor to teach Rin the basics of reading math and science- but at her level. Then she was allowed to sit in on the 2 hour classes with the boys- after that came meal time.

They boys ate ravenously. Rin had no idea why. She just assumed it was because the food was so yummy, but even she only ever ate one or 2 servings.

For the last 4 hours of the day, their schedules diverged. Rin was sent to the library, a massive room of books and computer data. She was able to look up articles about creatures, plants and other related searches. As the months went by she grew an interest in the chemistry behind certain naturally derived pheromones. She was fascinated by their abilities to manipulate situations and emotions; in the right hands they could do more to help people then most doctors could (at least the ones back in her home town.)

As she studied in the library and collected books to take back to her room to study later, Rin would never know what horrors the boys went through. For them, this 4 hour block was time used to improve their powers and abilities.

Once a month (or sooner, depending on how bad they did in the training) they were given injections of gourmet cells that would further develop with every meal. But as for the trading- each day they were given skills to master in relation to their abilities, then there was a tournament where they had to fight each other using their powers to the fullest extent. Then the winner had to fight Ichiryu himself.

He of course held back, he didn't want to actually kill a child. This was a daily test of how far they had come. He would give the winner critique on what he needed to approve on.

Little by little he introduced the concept of knocking out wild animals (after all that would be their actual job.) He would bring in animals that required precision (or else they would become poisonous or otherwise inedible) and animals that required advanced combat ability.

After the sun went down, everyone's day was done -all the children had free time to use as they pleased. In the massive estate each child had their own room so they could have a quiet place for studying, combat practice or meditation.

Rin would vists Sunny's room at least once a day. After the day's training he always He looked near death, but when she spoke to him he was so happy.

"I'm getting better!" he would say, as he climbed in to a bathtub of ice, covered in bruises. His injuries always varied; sometimes he had a dislocated shoulder, other times he had a chipped tooth, or a broken wrist. But they were told how best to treat their own injuries; the gourmet cells would do the rest.

There was something strange happening to his body; happening to all the boys. They seemed to get taller, stronger, at an unusual rate. Rin simply chalked it up to the boys being trained as athletes; at least that was how Sunny explained it. They were training for something bigger then themselves; they just didn't know what quite yet.

It was a special treat when she would come in to hear Sunny joyfully shouting "I won! I won! "he would still be as badly hurt as when he lost, but at least he knew he was capable of improvement.

Youngest and still smaller than the others, he only won about 10 percent of the time, so whenever he got a win the others would let him have his moment of glory in peace. (Mostly he would place 4th, winning him an extra round of painful injections.)

Rin's own room was sparsely decorated; she had a bed, a bathroom, and a little table with a chair. She kept her books and papers on the floor, so she could easily find what she was looking for. She could have probably gotten her own computer if she asked for one, but the library was close enough for her to use whenever she needed to.

She only spent time in her own room if Sunny wasn't in his room for whatever reason. Some times Sunny liked to wonder the grounds, walking through the gardens, always lost in throught. Other times he was getting more injections. Either way Rin would grab a book from her room and wait for him to return.

Sunny was always happy to see her. They would talk about what they did, and maybe even sneak in a midnight snack. He was always interested in what she researched; all the beautiful plants and animals she wanted to see one day. As it got late, Sunny would turn on his tv. It was a small tv, but television in general was a luxury he never had before. Ichiryu made him promise to not fall behind- or even more behind then he already was- or else the tv would have to go.

Sunny and Rin would fall asleep to the news broadcast about rare food finds in the World Kitchen market, and what people were doing with them in the magnificent restaurants of Gourmet Town.

This went on for 4 years. Ichiryu knew Rin needed to leave and find her place. But she was also just a child. She was gifted well beyond her years, with as passion for science. Her destiny lied elsewhere.

One day it finally happened.


	5. Chapter 5

"NOOOOOO!" Rin cried until she made herself sick- even as her bags were being packed and she was being forced to a waiting car. Trembling, crying hysterically, she didn't understand why this needed to happen. Not only was she leaving Sunny she had also became great friends with Toriko, Coco and even (had a mutual respect/understanding) with Zebra.

She felt pain in her chest; like someone was ripping her heart out. That someone was Mansam, the head of animal research. He ran an exclusive school for talented future scientists. Rin, at the age of 7 would be at least 5-10 years younger than everyone else, but for what it was worth, both Ichiryu and Mansam felt she was somehow worthy. Either that or they just wanted her out of the way.

"SUNNY!" she held on to him as the men in suits dragged her away. Her brother tried to console her with his magical hair power, but it was no use.

"I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends" Coco said. This made it worse. She didn't want new friends, if it meant loosing the friends she had now.

Then Toriko appeared. In the 4 years she knew him he had lost any and all baby fat and become as muscular as an action figure- yet with the same kind, innocent face.

"it will be ok- the next time we see you, you'll be a super genius." he gave her a hug. He held the hug as he added one more comment, "Master Ichiryu...and Mr Mansam belive in you- and so do I."

His words caused Rin to look up through her tears. Toriko smiled and released the hug. She was then quickly dragged in to the car to avoid any more drama. She opened the window and waved goodbye one last time.

It would be years before any of the children saw Rin again- in the battle arena.

Sunny, Toriko, Coco and Zebra were ages 16 and 15 when they were first presented to the VIP audiences of the battle arena. The battle arena was usually for the ranking of various gourmet animals, but today was different. Today was the dawn of a new era. No longer would the IGO need teams of soldiers to capture animals; these 4 boys could take down any animal, no matter the level- on their own.

The boys were paraded out to a skeptical audience. They would be put in one on one matches against animals who were previously tested as level 20 or higher.

"They don't think we're worthy," said Sunny as he watched the crowd. The high-class audience were too polite to boo them, they just focused on their food or engaged in small talk, wondering when the real matches would start.

Still the youngest and smallest, he was now 6'1" with a sense of elegance and class not unlike a ballet dancer. "Let's give them a good show." As they left he made sure to flip his hair, creating a massive rainbow of sparkling color that caressed the arena from floor to ceiling. At least that caught some attention.

Meanwhile Rin had been interning as tech at the arena. Even at the age of 11 she knew how to use pheromones to provoke the animals to put on a show. But as she saw her brother and her friends enter the arena, she was filled with fear. She had seen what those animals could do; were the boys strong enough? They looked different. They were all taller and more muscular; like superheroes, but all she saw were the 4 little boys she grew up with.

Battle Fragrance; a plant derived pheromone that induces attack. There was a panel for it; one button to start and one to add more. Mansam had the mercy to assign another tech to that role.

First in to arena was Zebra; he was vicious against the Shark Box Turtle (a super fast turtle with a shark fin); the battle was fast and vicious with a gruesome victory.

Next was Sunny against -a Snake Leech? That was an aquatic creature, how was that going to work. First Sunny was pushed in to the arena, then, without warning the arena was filled with 10 feet of water. It was a small Snake Leech, no older than 2-5 years of age (but the largest Rin had ever seen) and her brother had just gotten sucked under water- she was more than a little afraid.

Rin looked at the control panel; there was button for 'Super Relaxation Fragrance'; a cancellation for the 'battle fragrance'. She didn't move or even lean in, when Instructor Mansam appeared by her side as if he could read her mind.

"Do you believe in him?" he asked in a genuine tone, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"yes," she forced herself to say. In her heart she knew that was the truth. Sunny had worked so hard; this was his moment to show how far he had come.

After getting over the initial shock of being sucked under water-Sunny used his hair to float back above the surface. He did a massive hair flip that not only created a magical optic rainbow effect, but also dried his hair on one motion.

He wished he had known this was going to be an aquatic creature; now all he wanted was to finish this match quickly so he could go change clothes. Zebra had taken it upon himself to kill his opponent, but they were told that knocking would be acceptable as well- as long as the crowd was impressed.

He started by trapping the creature in an invisible net of hair, scooping it out of the water. He flung it so far in the air; it hit the top of the arena. But as it fell, it changed directions in the air catching Sunny off guard. Sunny took a direct hit but his hair bounced backward, so make sure he wasn't smashed in to the wall. He did not want to have to fight the creature in the water but it seemed he had no choice; he would need to get creative.

He extended his hair sensors to touch the bottom of the arena, while he tried to keep his balance standing in the surface of the water. This was the first time he was going to try this particular move, but it was based on actual science- kind of. The hair sensors vibrated under water making the creature confused. Sunny forced the sensors to circle the creature, cutting off its range of moment until he could get close enough to simply hit a pressure point and get the win.

After his win was official, the exit opened and Sunny was finally allowed to go dry off and change.

Coco's match was against an air gorilla. Rin suddenly realized she had never actually seen Coco fight before. His match was very straight forward; he was able to use what could only be described as a 'poison touch' to subdue his opponent without killing it.

Lastly, Toriko faced an ice jaguar. The match was brutal, only because he was trying his best to avoid hurting the creature. He allowed himself to take direct hits, for the chance to get closer and knock the animal for a clean win. It was his personal motto, to only kill what could be eaten. He was not about to kill this creature just to entertain an audience.

Immediately after his win, the 4 were paraded back in. Toriko and Coco had not been given any time to treat their injuries and Sunny was only half dressed.

"THEY ARE THE FUTURE! THE 4 DISCIPLES! THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS!" said an overly zealous announcer.

"The what?" Zebra rolled his eyes. That title seemed to have been made up on the spot, with no real meaning. But the press ran with it; the 4 gorgeous teen idols with super powers. But the end of the week every girl in the country had their favorite.


	6. Chapter 6

For the first 2 months, the boys did one performance a day (again they had the option to knock or kill their opponent, but in situations where one fighter had to take on multiple animals, knocking was not always an option.)

They lived in the arena, eating, sleeping and training alongside all the other experiments, with the use of lots of 'Hyper Endorphin Fragrance' an aerosol based pain killer. Rin was happy to have them back in her life. She stayed with Sunny, even though their rooms were less like 'rooms' and more like cells. Just like when they were little, she slept in his bed, holding his hand as he until he felt asleep. He talked about how excited he was; when their 2 months of "performances" were over they would be sent out on actual IGO assignments, traveling the world, putting to use everything they had learned.

It made Rin sad to know their time together would not last but no matter what, she loved Sunny and if he had a chance to be truly happy she needed to be supportive. But they were not all happy.

One day she ventured to find Toriko, his match had ended badly. He had been put up againt 2 high levels monster and for the first time ever- had to kill one so the other could survive. This left him with a scar below his eye and an angry disposition. "I can't wait to get out of here!" He shouted at the wall as he was sent back to his cell. He had refused medical attention or even food.

"Toriko.." Rin approached with caution.

"Rin!" he answered happily as if nothing was wrong. "Rin! I haven't seen you since I got here!" he threw his arms around her. "you look so grown up!- didn't I tell you, the next time we met you'd be a super genius."

His happiness was so beautiful, but her eye went straight to his scar. "I'm… sorry…"

"Don't be- you have amazing skills, and someday, when you run this place- you'll have the power to make things better." He said, confidently.

After the two months were up, just as Sunny said- they all went their separate ways taking cases for the IGO. Zebra, Sunny, Toriko and Coco were the next hottest thing; single warriors who could take down massive creatures that usually required an army- and the fact they were all young teen idol-looking boys didn't hurt. They would disappear for days at a time them come back with creatures that previously had only been seen in books. They were on the covers of magazines, interviewed on TV. They were stars, they were loved.

And yet, after 2 years of doing assignments for the IGO (some specifically requested by Ichiryu as tests.) Sunny started to get lonely and depressed. He was famous throughout the land for his talent, skill and unique appearance. Hordes of fans, and even celebrities wanting to be seen with him, but no one actually wanted to be his friend. They would gather when he returned with a rare animal; snapping pictures. He loved making a grand entrance, but the emotional high was as fleeting as the moment itself.

He had lost touch with his teammates and his sister. Sometimes he would see others bringing creatures. He wants to say hello or even ask to go to lunch but they all seemed happier on their own- and he didn't want to appear needy, so he would simply sulk away, to await his next assignment.

Coco never stayed in one place long; he hated being seen, much less in the spotlight. Word spread of his fortune telling powers, so for the most part he did that- seeing the fates of people from the comfort of his own home. He took assignments when he wanted to, but more often than not he went out on his own, to test his skills in ways that actually made sense to him.

Toriko came back the most, he always seemed to crave new challenges, new opportunities to try food from new distant lands. He always made sure to say hello so Sunny. Even if Sunny seemed egger to leave, he just assumed it was because Sunny was as excited to get back to training and assignments as he was.

As for Zebra, after a while he stopped coming back. There were rumors he was killing for fun and wiped out several dozen species, and that there was a bounty on his head. This was somewhat upsetting to Sunny. Zebra was never the sanest person, but he was not a criminal. This life of solitude drove him to insanity- or at least that was Sunny's opinion.

He decided to take some time off. Tucking his hair under a coat and covering his head with a hat, he went to visit his mother's grave.

Since, as a child, he could not pay for a proper burial, her grave was just a number in a public grave for the homeless and poor. He had the number memorized; it was a comfort to know where he could find her.

"why did you never pay for her body to be moved from this place?" said a familiar voice.

"what?" Sunny turned around. No one had ever dared ask him that question.

It was the pink haired woman, but this time he knew her name- Setsuno, one of the most famous chefs in the world and the former partner of a legendary hunter. "is it because this is where you can find her?"

"I guess…" he said, facing the grave. He had more than enough money to move her body to a more respectable location, but for whatever reason he never did. Actually he had a reason; he hated the idea of his mother's body being exhumed then transferred. After all her soul was already far gone from this world there was no reason to move what was left behind.

"wait-why are you here?" He suddenly realized she must have had followed him or tracked him down. He turned to face her, full of anger (how dare she follow him to his mother's grave!)- But seeing her face took him back to that moment when he was 7.

"I keep in contact with all of Ichiryu's boys- even Zebra," She said in her soothing voice.

Even Zebra? Now he knew she was lying. "WHY?!" Sunny asked he started to stomp away; he didn't want her to see him get emotional.

"There are skills that only can be done as a team; but first you need to be the strongest you can be, as individuals. It can be a lonely road, but someday you will all be reunited- So I'm just here to make sure the 4 little boys with so much potential don't lose their way." She fished around in her purse for a business card.

"Meet me here in 3 days at 2pm," she said placing the card in Sunny's hand. She then skipped away, without anything further- she knew he would make it, and they would have plenty of time to talk then.


	7. Chapter 7

It took Sunny exactly 3 days to make it all the way to the Gourmet City. When he arrived at the location; it was a deceptively small shop the sign on the door said, "CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT." He knocked anyway.

"Hello!" the door opened.

"But it said.." Sunny looked away, as if part of him didn't want to enter.

"yes, the private event is our counseling session," she said as she opened the door and ushered him in. "take a seat at the counter." She brought them out some tea. She then went back to what ever she was doing behind the counter.

"you and Rin don't have the same father," she said rather casually. It was interesting she chose to open with the line.

"that's correct although most people are too polite to point it out". It was obvious to anyone with eyes, he and Rin looked nothing alike, but she was still sister and his best friend.

"tell me your story," Setsuno said, still working on other things. It was clear she already knew his main history, but she knew it had been a long time since he said the worlds out loud, perhaps it would be therapeutic to reflect. Sunny kept his eyes focused on his tea as he started his story.

His mother was with a man with blonde hair for a little over a year. He was a fisherman, or at least that's what she told Sunny. He would go out on the boat for days on end, and come back with the beautiful, exotic fish. The other fishermen said he would always venture further than anyone else, to bring back rare items that no one had ever seen. He was wealthy for his profession, and he treated Sunny's mother with love and respect.

But one day he left; there were reports of a bad storm, and his boat never made it back. Sunny was born 4 days later. Since they were never married, the government took everything. She could have hired a lawyer to get the government to recognize Sunny as his child, but she had no idea where to start.

Later, his beautiful mother, while working as a waitress found the man who would be Rin's father. He was an abusive drunk, but he was also a factory worker making well above the minimum wage, his income allowed them to be able to pay rent and even eat.

He never actually married her; he would come around only when he wanted something. Sunny knew full well what that 'something' was. Most nights he slept in the bed, but for those particular nights he was forced to sleep in the closet with his hands over his ears. And Sunny had to be in the closet BEFORE the man came through the front door. He hated the sight of Sunny and made it known. Once, when he was only 3 years old, he didn't get to the closet in time, so the man slammed Sunny's hand in a door repeatedly then attacked him with angered fists, until his mother struck him with a cooking pot. The man grabbed her by her hair, and threw her to the ground, kicked her in the face. With a nose bleed and broken jaw, he left her for the night allowing her time to get Sunny to a hospital. The scars were faded after all those years, but still visible.

That was when she left him. She grabbed whatever she could and fled, starting a new life the next town over. She got a job as a cleaning lady, in a fancy hotel-but more importantly she got Sunny into a school. Everything seemed ok; until she found out she was pregnant with Rin. She continued to work hard, right up until the day she gave birth; on the reception floor. She was rushed to a hospital. When school got out, Sunny was brought to her by his teacher.

"Mama!" Sunny ran to her side. Her labor had been short, she held in her arms his new baby sister.

But his mother seemed strangely sad, "I don't know what to do." She said, looking stressed and scared.

"what's her name, mama?" sunny asked, taking the baby from her. He had never held a baby before, but this little girl seemed to like him right away.

"I don't know if we can't keep her." They could barely take care of themselves. She needed to abandon the baby, it would be put up for adoption and got to a good home.

"I'll take care of her." Sunny said happily. His hair was reaching out to the baby, caressing her cheek. She opened her big brown eyes and smiled without a care in the world.

"But, you need to go to school" his mother said in the pain full tone.

"I know allot already, mama. I can get books from the library and learn at home.." Sunny knew how to read at the age of 4; his mother knew that would not be enough. But the love in his eyes was unmistakable. "She's my baby."

With those words, she knew in her heart she could not give up her baby daughter; Sunny and the baby were meant to be. In the years to come, they would give each other strength.

"her name is Rin," she finally said. It was a very plain name, but one full of possibility and hope.

The plan was for Rin to go to a low income, government sponsored day care until she was old enough to go to school. Sunny would be allowed to sign her out on his way home from school (under the lie that their mother was 'waiting in the car'.) He would give her a bottle, and make a little food for himself before doing his homework. After work, mother would come home to cook dinner, read to the children, and put them to bed.

They could have lived the rest of their lives this way and been perfectly happy, but fate had other plans.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore!" Sunny said, gasping for breath. The sadness was too painful. He relived his mother's death over and over in his mind; she slowly slipped away to sickness and all he could do was watch.

He slammed down his tea cup so hard it shattered, "I can't find my meaning! Why am I here, why am I doomed to suffer through this life alone?!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Your scars…" she started to say, in a soft voice.

"I know!-any scars- before the gourmet cells don't go away!" he had scars on his hands, and his wrists, on his back and even on his feet. There were scars from abuse, scars from when he was caught stealing, scars from getting bitten by rate while sleeping next to a dumpster, and having to go for weeks without shoes while wondering the streets.

"Taste this." she presented a somewhat plain looking plate of caviar.

"It took you this long to open a tin of caviar?" he said before looking at it.

"Look closer, child," she said as she placed a small spoon on the plate. The Caviar was a normal brown color, but int he right light, seemed to sparkle. "Beautiful Skin Caviar, a level 30 ingredient harvested from the mermaid tuna. It's so difficult because one wrong move and she eggs will simply evaporate. Try some."

Sunny with a shaking hand took a spoonful. The flavor was mild, a little salty, and fruity and savory. The texture was

but what happened next was the important part. He looked at his hands to see his scars vanishing before his eyes.

His heart felt like a weight had been lifted. The memories would be forever but the scars were gone; he felt like he could start over as the person he wanted to be.

"You are more beautiful then you know," she said, giving him a hug.

"I think I have a solution to your sadness; save you heard of the meal of life?"

Sunny shook his head, too emotional to speak. He had read that legendary hunters throughout history had created meals that represented their lives and accomplishments, but he always assumed it was just as a hobby.

"Hors d'Oeuvre, Soup, Fish, Meat, Main, Salad, Dessert and Drink- throughout one's life, individuals determine what items or dishes represent who they truly are. They are foods that make you feel."

"feel?" sunny asked, it was a very vague word.

"yes. I used to say "feel strong" or "feel empowered, but it's different for everyone. When you find an ingredient for your meal of life, you will feel it in your heart. It will be like nothing you ever experienced before." She said pushing the plate closer.

"I'm hoping this will be part of your meal of life." She kissed his forehead before continuing, even at 6"1' he was still the little boy she held in her harms all those years ago; afraid and unsure, but ultimately strong.

"You have a gift; the ability to see beauty all around you." She added, "Even in your loneliest hours that will bring you peace. "she took a few steps back for the next surprise, " and I have another treat for you…" Rin appeared from behind the kitchen curtain.

"you've gotten fat." He said jokingly.

"if I'm fat -you're ugly", she laughed.

They laughed together, and hugged.

"Have you tried this?" he knew she also had scars from the childhood. He hoped this ingredient could give her the same feeling of peace.

"not yet, but it looks interesting" Rin was had been told about the item ahead of time, but she never tasted it before. She took a small spoonful; it was actually kind of bland. She tasted subtle flavors, but it was not anything she would actually choose to eat.

Sunny held her hands in his, tracing his finger over a scar. They had been shoplifting for food and when they were caught, Sunny started to run, assuming Rin would follow. She tripped and fell on a piece of broken glass. But he went back for her and carried her until they were safe.

"neat trick" she said looking at her hand as it magically healed. She saw that Sunny was disappointed with her lack of enthusiasm. "I really don't mind my scars." She shrugged. "Scars represent either accomplishments (referring to her time in Mansam's science academy when she burned or cut herself while competing an assignment,) or times when my big brother was (and still is) my hero" that was a blanket reference to everything Sunny ever did for her. He would steal, fight or go days without food, to make sure she had something to eat, books to read and a place to sleep. Her scars never represented anything negative. Even if they had died on the streets, she would die knowing she was loved.

"I love you so much, and I always will." Sunny said with tears in his eyes. "I'm so proud of the person you have become, and mother would have been …."

"I know. I've always known how much you and mama loved me. Now I need you to see how much you are loved; by me, by Master Ichiryu, and by your teammates; because you are worthy of love. I'm hoping you just needed to hear it out loud to finally believe it. " Rin said.

Setsuno had told Rin her concerns about Sunny's mental health. Zebra had already gone off the deep end (lost, but not beyond saving), but if they could help Sunny before he was lost as well, it would be so much easier. Rin took vacation days, to come to the gourmet city and show her support.

They would have 2 more days to spend together, acting like tourist, going shopping, tours, restaurants, etc , before she had to get back to work. It was the most fun either of them had in a long time. On the final day, they rode the open top tour bus, Rin asked, "Are you happy?"

Sunny leaned back, looking up at the blue sky, with a soft breeze caressing his face, "yes, I think I am," the sky was so clear, he took a deep breath, taking in the unique beauty of this city even if it was a touristy place. He knew he would be alone soon, journeying to improve his strength ans skills. But everywhere he looked all he could see was beauty; happiness, color, and harmony. And in that moment Sunny was calm, peaceful and happy.

Sunny got the answers he was seeking; to search out his meal of life was to find the meaning of his life. And when he found it that would be enough. He knew he would eventually see his teammates again, and be called upon for an assignment that required all their skills- when that day came, he would stand strong, as they all would- with the knowledge that with love and strength and hope they could accomplish anything.

The end


End file.
